Unless you live in the northeast corner of Europe, you probably don’t know much about Estonia. Still, let’s go over some notable facts about this mysterious little country:
- Estonia is small, but it is not the smallest country in Europe. It is larger than Slovenia, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland. It is about the same size as New Hampshire and Massachusetts combined.
- Despite its small size, it feels big because only 1.3 million people live here. This makes Estonia one of the least dense countries in Europe, with only 32 Estonians per square kilometer.
- Suur Munamägi, at a measly 1,000 feet (318 meters), is the highest mountain in the country.
- The relative plain of Estonia makes it a great place for Nordic ski training. An Estonian woman won two gold medals at the 2006 Turino Winter Olympics and Estonians bought all pairs of skis available in stores the next day.
- Of the nearly 200 countries in the world, Estonia ranks second in adult literacy with a rate of 99.8 percent.
- Estonian forests continue to grow, perhaps due to population decline.
- In 1990, 22,304 babies were born; today it is almost half that amount. With the death rate increasing slightly, you can understand why the population of Estonia is decreasing.
- Only 46 percent of the population is male. However, before single men book a flight to Estonia, consider that the main reason for this disparity is that men die quickly – their average life expectancy is only 65 years.
- Estonia is the most libertarian country in the world, according to a meta survey.
- Estonia adopted the euro on January 1, 2011 with its public finances in better shape than all other countries in the euro zone!
Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, has the most picturesque and lovable old town in Eastern Europe. Go visit!